Mobile vehicles, such as airplanes, routinely collect data from a number of sensors. As data storage may be limited, it is desirable to routinely download such sensor data to a larger storage device, such as mass storage media (e.g., CD-ROMs) or computing devices (e.g., computers), which are not resident in the mobile vehicle. Conventionally, these routine downloads are handled by manual connection of a data download devices (e.g., a laptop computer or personal digital assistant (PDA)) or wireless transmission of the data using available wireless protocols. Sometimes, however, these conventional data download techniques are hampered by either the requirement of a person to accomplish the data download or by the mobile vehicle, or by both. For example, the sensor data may be collected and stored in a data storage device located in an inaccessible area of the mobile vehicle or an area of the mobile vehicle where access is difficult. Alternatively, accurate wireless transmission of the data or manual retrieval of the data may be hampered by the vehicle itself, either due to the mobility of the vehicle (i.e., an airplane which is fairly constantly in use) or the structure of the vehicle and the location of the data storage device therein.
Thus, what is needed is an alternative method and apparatus for accessing and downloading data from a mobile vehicle which accommodates the mobility of the vehicle and the accessibility of the data storage device within the mobile vehicle while not requiring wireless transmission of the data form inside the mobile vehicle. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.